The Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle, Cincindela sexgutta overwinters as an adult in the leaf litter or inside rotting logs. They need a warm body temperature (about 32 degrees C) to be most efficient hunting prey. April 2015 in West Lafayette had cool temperatures with few days above 15 degrees C. In past Aprils, these beetles were commonly flying. In 2015 I saw none flying but did find several after busting rotting logs like the one pictured (left). Not only is it a more efficient runner in warmer temperatures, but more prey are also available.

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About jjneal

Jonathan Neal is an Associate Professor of Entomology at Purdue University and author of the textbook, Living With Insects (2010).
This blog is a forum to communicate about the intersection of insects with people and policy. This is a personal blog.
The opinions and materials posted here are those of the author and are in no way connected with those of my employer.